1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is non-mechanized devices by which a person may therapeutically exercise his or her knee after the knee has been medically treated and exercises are called for by his or her physician or therapist.
2. Description of the Related Art
Individuals who have injured their knee to the extent that medical treatment is required, are directed by their physicians or therapists to exercise that knee in order to strengthen, straighten, or obtain more flexibility. In most cases, the physician or therapist will advise the patient to lie in bed or on the floor upon his or her back with the leg with the injured knee vertical, or as vertical as possible, and then to exercise the knee by flexing the lower portion of the leg from a leg-straight position to a position where the leg has been bent at the knee the maximum extent possible, i.e., to where the foot reaches a point as near the buttocks as is possible. In addition, the therapist may direct the patient to lie down and clasp his or her hands together under the lower portion of his or her thigh next to the knee and to pull the thigh forward while exercising the knee by raising and lowering the foot. These methods of exercise may obviously be enhanced by the use of an elevated horizontal cross bar upon which the exerciser may place the lower-under thigh of the leg. In addition, the therapist or physician may call for weights to be added to the lower leg wherein the knee is much strengthened by having to flex the leg with the added weight.
While the inventor is not aware of any specific non-mechanized knee exercise devices which facilitate the type of exercise contemplated by the instant invention, certain inventions have been patented which might possibly be used by an exerciser to accomplish some knee or leg exercises. For example, Hunter in U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,724 discloses a multi-positionable exercising device which has two horizontal bars adapted to rest upon the floor and two inverted "U" members which attach to the two horizontal bars to provide a pair of cross pieces elevated in the air. However, the second cross piece would be a hindrance to attempting the knee exercises anticipated, and if the second cross piece were removed, there would be very little inherent stability left in the device when attempting to use it.
Another device known to the inventor includes the physical exercising device of Brumfield, U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,697 wherein is disclosed an elevated horizontal exercising bar but which, in its attachment to the base, would prohibit the patient from lying on the floor or bed as required to do the exercise.
A third exercising device is shown in a United States Patent to Dodge entitled Gymnastic Apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,189,347, wherein an elevated horizontal cross bar is supported by triangular shaped structural means resting upon a floor, however, the support mechanism for the horizontal bar would greatly interfere with the use of the bar by the patient for knee exercises.
Lastly, an exercise device detailed by Bock in U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,048 discloses a device which also supports a horizontal bar however, like Brumfield and Dodge, the remainder of the apparatus supporting the horizontal bar renders impossible the user's particular method of exercising.
It is therefore readily obvious that there is need for apparatus by which an exerciser may be provided a cross bar upon which to rest the lower portion of his or her thigh while exercising his or her leg which permits the free and unencumbered movement of the lower portion of the leg and which does not present obstacles to the remainder of the exerciser's body when using.